Posts Tagged ‘recycled’

On January 28th, Keep America Beautiful (KAB) and the Coca-Cola Foundation announced a call for applications for the 2013 Coca-Cola/KAB Recycling Bin Grant Program. Through a $300,000 grant from the Coca-Cola Foundation, the program is designed to expand and support recycling in American communities. 29,000 recycling bins have been distributed since 2010 under this program, reaching 4.3 million people. The end goal is to provide local organizations with recycling bins and increase recycling rates across the country. Grant applications can be found online through March 4, 2013. Eligible recipients include government agencies, civic organizations, schools, nonprofit groups and all colleges and universities will be eligible for a college specific grant.

By 2015, paper use in magazines, newspapers, and books is expected to fall between 12 and 20 percent from 2010 levels. With the increased use of tablets nationwide, there is no surprise at this report. In 2010, tablets exploded onto the market where by the end of their first year, 15 million tablet computers were in use. North America alone accounted for 10 million and by 2015, that number is expected to grow to 200 million.

Some people out there thought that the newspaper industry would be a thing of the past by now. Where will it be in 2015- just three short years away?

As paper use falls, the packaging market will also see big changes. Environmentally friendly packaging growth is expected to really take off with degradable packaging experiencing the most demand growth. As manufacturing technology continues refine degradable packaging to expand its uses, the sky will be the limit. The development of degradable packaging has been slow as researchers are testing materials such as mushrooms, banana leaves, and coconuts.

Right now, recycled content packaging is the largest green packaging sector by far because it is far more developed. What will packaging look like in 2015?

Pacific Perfumes of New Zealand creates solid perfumes that capture the essence of the South Pacific. Their perfumery takes special skill blending botanical essences of flower, wood, fruits and resin, producing unique fragrances. Perfumes from Pacific Perfumes have never been tested on animals and ingredients are all from the plant world.

Elegant perfume needs elegant packaging, sustainable packaging in this case. Pacific Perfumes went with a design by Mike Peters that ended up winning the HBA’s International Package Design Award (IPDA). Lets explore….

The perfume itself is packaged in a simple wooden pot that is compact and beautiful to touch. A clever snap-to-system carved in the wood keeps the lid secure. The wood is made from sustainable Beech sourced from certified sustainable New Zealand forests. For every tree that is logged, another one is planted in its place.

Another piece of sustainable Beech is used to hold the wooden pot of perfume inside of a recyclable paperboard box. It is also a little gift. The shape of a Nikau tree (Palm tree that is native to New Zealand only) pops out, as pictured, of the Beech perfume holder to further symbolize the culture of New Zealand.

It’s lighter than a magazine, easy to set up, holds a person up to approximately 200 lbs, and is made out of corrugated box material. So what is it? It’s Chair In The Box. Yes, a simple box that is opened and easily folded to make a chair.

The chair is very functional. The corrugated boards are composed of recycled secondary fibers like used newspapers and old boxes. There are several environmental benefits with Chair In The Box. It encourages the use of recycled materials and helps in saving paper. The product also provides a good alternative option for metal products which are non-renewable resources.

Introducing the first green Android phone- the Samsung Replenish from Sprint. Sprint has been in the forefront in recent years on establishing their eco-friendly corporate identity by offering green phones that feature green packaging as well as launching their Sprint Sustainability website.

34% of Samsung Replenish is made out of recycled material, even the packaging is green- made of recycled material. The Samsung Replenish comes in Artic blue, Onyx black and raspberry pink color and will cost you $49.99 after a $100 instant rebate, which you should be able to get without much trouble. There is a 2 year contract that comes along with the purchase of the eco friendly android phone.

The phone has a Micro USB charging port at the bottom, a power button and a headset jack at the top, volume rocker button on the left and has voice command plus camera shutter button to its right. The phone has a 2 Mega Pixel camera and a micro SD slot is located behind the back cover. Samsung replenish supports memory up to 32GB and is powered by Android 2.2 OS.

If you are someone who is eco conscious, you could by the optional back cover that has solar panels on it. With qwerty keyboard, packed with the power of android 2.2 and many other unique eco friendly features incorporated in the phone, the Samsung replenish is one of the cheapest and best eco friendly Sprint phones available in the market.

It is that time of year where the flowers, heart shaped chocolate boxes, and cards flow to the ones we love. Valentine’s day used to be known for its red and pink colors, but this year we can incorporate green into the lovely holiday. What does green have to do with Valentine’s Day you ask? Well there are ways to not only show our love to our significant others but to the planet as well.

Here are 10 ways to go green this Valentine’s Day:

1. Cards can be hand made from recycled or tree free paper
2. E-cards can be sent
3. Buy chocolates and/or flowers that are organic
4. Make a donation to an environmental organization on behalf of the person
5. Jewelry can be purchased from jewelers who are certified in sourcing precious metals and gemstones in an ecologically and socially responsible manner
6. Gift certificates for holistic therapies (massage, health spa, ect.) make great gifts
7. Have dinner at a restaurant specializing in organic or locally grown food
8. If dining in, prepare a meal using organic or locally grown ingredients
9. If purchasing perfumes or fragrances, buy the ones that are natural instead of synthetic
10. Going green involves imagination. Use your imagination and come up with some do it yourself gifts for your loved ones and have fun with it

Like many other industries, the packaging industry has suffered through the current recession. Sustainable packaging, however, has showed impressive growth from 2008 to 2009, and has been immune to the economic downturn. Sustainability has helped companies cut costs and reduce packaging waste by using recycled and reusable materials. Europe and the U.S. represent the largest regions for sustainable packaging, together accounting for more than 70 percent of the global market.

Sustainable packaging is projected to reach $142.42 billion globally by 2015, according to a report from Global Industry Analysts (GIA). Drivers for growth include increased awareness about environmental hazards related to disposal and recycling of packaging wastes, government initiatives to minimize greenhouse gas emissions, and stringent regulations.

As eco-friendly packaging becomes mainstream, many companies are implementing green packaging as a marketing tool. Manufacturers also are under pressure to use environment-friendly materials, and adopt methods that require low-energy consumption and reduce environmental impact of packaging.

In terms of market segmentation, recycled material accounts for the largest packaging category, contributing nearly 90 percent to the total demand in the United States. However, biodegradables represent the fastest growing segment in the packaging industry. Biodegradable materials are easily decomposed by microorganisms, and reduce packaging waste, while the materials preserve food products and sustain freshness. Among biodegradables, bioplastics are garnering the greatest attention in the green packaging market. As questions loom about the limitations of bioplastics, the demand continues to swell, presenting an opportunistic market as bioplastics evolve.

Markets using sustainable packaging include cosmetics and personal care, food and beverage, food service and shipping markets, and healthcare. As an example, the study cites more than 600 new beauty products with a green label were introduced in Europe alone during the past two years, driven by consumer preference for eco-friendly plastic packaging materials.

27 percent of products at major U.S. retailers are estimated to have sustainable packaging in 2010, and by 2015, this figure is projected to reach 37 percent.

Neato. It’s the first ever recycled ceramic mug. Starbucks brought it to life in a zero waste factory in Japan which creates mugs from reused clay from old ceramic mugs and dishes. Its green packaging has an earthy look and feel while limiting the amount of material giving great visibility to the mugs themselves. Designed by Alice Friedel from the Starbucks team.